Refrigerator car



Dec. 30, 1941*. G. G. GlLPlN 2,268,332

REFRIGERATOR CAR I Filed June '7, 1939 Patented Dec. 30, 1941 UNITED REFRIGERATOR CAR Garth G. Gilpin, Riverside, Ill., assignor to Standard Railway Devices Company, a corporation of Delaware Application June 7, 1939, Serial No. 277,791

Claims.

The invention relates to refrigerator cars, and more particularly to refrigerator cars of the overh'ead bunker type in which the refrigerant containers are disposed adjacent the roof. The essential features of a refrigerator car are an insulated structure to retard ingress of heat during Warm weather and egress of heat during cold Weather and a cooling or heating means for use in warm or cold weather respectively.

Refrigerator cars of the overhead bunker type have recently come into considerable use, one of the reasons for this use being the high refrigeration efficiency which is due to the position of the refrigerating means. Cold air, being heavier than warm air, flows downwardly by natural convection. Flues are commonly associated with one or more walls of the car to provide a path for the cold air from the cooling means to the lading compartment, thereby providing a direct and efcient circulating system.

Various types of lading are hauled in refrigerator cars. The lading may be a product, such as fresh strawberries, apples or other fruits or vegetables, which is often loaded into the car at the atmospheric temperature and cooled by th'e refrigeratng means of the car to a safe transit temperature. Such a product is usually loaded with numerous air passages therein for circulation of cold air. Another product commonly hauled is meat; this is loaded at a low temperature and is retained at the low temperature by cold air passing thereover,

Another type of lading commonly hauled is frozen products. This may include frozen fish, which are often at a temperature of ten degrees below zero, or frozen fresh' fruits and vegetables (such as the product known by the trade name Birdseye) Products of the frozen type are usually loaded so as to form a substantially solid mass. This form of loading. is due partly to the physical properties of the product and partly to the fact that air circulation therethrough is not required. It is necessary only to insulate the lading from the outside air.

It is an object of this invention to provide a car having means to circulate cold air through the load, such' as is required in the transportation of fresh meats, fruits and vegetables.

Another object is to provide a car well adapted to the transportation of frozen products. I accomplished this by providing a circulatory system in which cold air circulates substantially around the lading, thereby preventing flow of warm air from the exterior of the car to the lading.

A further object is to provide a refrigerator car which may be adapted to the transportation of either fresh or frozen products without making any changes in the construction of the car. I accomplish this by providing means by which the cold air may flow either into or around th'e lading compartment, according to the manner in which the lading is loaded.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following detailed description by referring to the accompanying draw- 1ng.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows the refrigerator car which I claim as my invention loaded with' a solid load.

Fig. 2 shows the car of Fig. 1 loaded with a load having spaces therein.

Fig. 3 shows a modied construction.

The parts of a refrigerator car shown in the drawing are a roof 2, side Walls 3, fioor 4, lading compartment 5, refrigerant container 6 below the roof 2, a hatch 'I in the roof 2 for loading refrigerant into the container 6, and a floor rack 8 on the floor of the car. The refrigerant container 6 extends substantially between the side Walls 3 of the car and the h'atch 1 is preferably disposed adjacent one of the eaves. The hatches of adjacent containers may alternate between the sides of the car.

The floor rack 8 preferably comprises transversely extending stringers I3 resting upon the iioor 4 and longitudinally extending, spaced apart slats I5 secured to the upper surfaces of the stringers I3 to provide a space I6 therebelow. A drip pan I8 is spaced below the container Ii with a partition I9 upstanding from an edge of said drip pan to form a refrigerant chamber 2I near the roof. A ue 23 is associated with cach of the side walls 3, which fiues communicate at the lower ends thereof with the space I6 under the floor rack slats. The upper end of the ue 25 communicates with :the refrigerant chamber 2I opposite from the partition I9 while the upper end of the flue 21 communicates with the refrigerant chamber 2| adjacent the partition I9. An opening 30 is provided between the lading compartment 5 and the ch'amber 2l, the opening 32 to the flue 25 being at a lower elevation than the opening 34 to the nue 2l and lading compartment 5.

Fig. 1 shows by the arrows 40 the path of the air circulation Which takes place when the lading 42 within the car is loaded substantially solid between the side walls 3, thereby preventing the ilow of air through the lading space. In this case, the air adjacent the container 6 is cooled,

and therefore densified, by contact with said container; it flows downwardly through the side wall flue 25, through the space I6 under the oor rack slats l5 and upwardly through the side wall nue 2'1 to the refrigerant chamber 2| Where it is again cooled and repeats the cycle just described. An insulating blanket of cold air is thereby formed substantially around the lading compartment.

Fig. 2 shows by the arrows 45 the path ofthe air circulation when the lading 41 is of the type which provides spaces 48 between certain parts thereof, thereby allowing air to flow through the lading space. In this case the air which descends through the side wall nue 25 flows through the space IS below the floor rack slats I5 and then permeates upwardly between the slats l 5 through the lading space 5, thereby cooling the lading by contact therewith.

A portion 55 of the top of the container E may be formed of wire netting 55 or other foraminous material so that a portion of the circulating air may flow therethrough into the container and be cooled by contact with the refrigerant. when it is desired to ventilate the car, in which case air would flow from outside the car through the hatch 1, and then through the wire netting and eventually into the lading space 5.

In the arrangement shown in Figs. i and 2, the partition i9 is provided so that the cold air within the refrigerant chamber 2l, having a greater density, naturally ows through the lowest opening. The lowest opening is through the nue 25, thereby establishing a positive convective circulation of air. Fig. 3 shows a modification wherein an opening Si) is provided between the lading space 5 and the side wall nue 2 near the top thereof for flow of air to the refrigerant chamber 2l from the lading compartment 5.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifica tions thereof, within the scope of the claims, will occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

l. In combination with the roof, floor and spaced side walls which denne the lading compartment of a refrigerator car, a vertically extending flue associated with each of said walls, a foraminous iioor spaced above the first mentioned floor to form a space communicating at its opposite ends with the lower ends of said air may return to said passage either through said other nue or said compartment depending upon whether the lading is loaded tightly or loosely respectively.

The wire netting 56 may also be used 2. In combination with the roof, floor and spaced side walls which define the lading cornpartment of a refrigerator car, a vertically extending flue associated with each of said walls, a foraminous iioor spaced above the iirst mentioned iioor to form a space communicating at its opposite ends with the lower ends of said flues, refrigerating means disposed immediately below said roof and extending substantially between said walls, means cooperating with said refrigerating means to form an air cooling passage extending substantially between said walls and communicating at one end with one of said nues for discharging cold air thereinto, the other of said flues and said lading compartment being arranged to communicate with said passage opposite to the first mentioned flue, whereby said air may return to said passage either through said other flue or said compartment depending upon whether the lading is loaded tightly or loosely respectively.

3. In combination with the roof, floor and spaced side walls which define the lading compartment of a refrigerator car, a vertically extending ue associated with each of said walls, a foraminous floor spaced above the first mentioned floor to form a space communicating at its oposite ends with the lower ends of said flues, a refrigerant container disposed immediately below said roof and extending substantially between said walls, means cooperating with said refrigerant container to form an air passage extending substantially between said walls and communicating at one end with one of said iiues for discharging cold air thereinto, the other of said nues and said lading compartment being arranged to communicate With said passage opposite to the rst mentioned nue, whereby said air may return to said passage either through said other flue or said compartment depending upon whether the lading is loaded tightly or loosely respectively.

4. In combination with the roof, floor and spaced side walls'lwhich define the lading 00mpartment of a refrigerator car, a vertically extending iiue associated with each of said walls, a foraminous floor spaced above the rst mentioned floor to form a space communicating at its opposite ends with the lower ends of said nues, refrigerating means disposed immediately Ibelow said roof and extending substantially between said Walls, means cooperating with said refrigerating means to form an air cooling passage extending substantially between said walls and communicating at one end with one of said flues for discharging cold air thereinto, the other of said iiues being arranged to communicate with said passage opposite to the first mentioned flue, whereby said air may return to said passage either through said other flue' or Said compartment depending upon Whether the lading is loaded tightly or loosely respectively. l I

5. A structure as defined in claim 3 wherein said passage is inclined downwardly vtoward said first mentioned iiue. A

GARTH G. GILPIN. 

